heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən  ˈhir- 

ˈhe-rə-

1

a

: a mythological or legendary woman often of divine descent having great strength or ability

b

: a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities

American heroines such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks

remembered as the heroine of the flood

2

a

: the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work

the heroine of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

b

: the central female figure in an event or period

Examples of heroine in a Sentence

The town remembered her as the heroine of the flood and erected a statue in her honor.

Recent Examples on the Web

She was once cast as a secular heroine, the daughter of a revolutionary leader, whose brutal assassination in the 1970s defined her political ascent. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025

Elphaba closes the closet, and the two women lean their heads against opposite sides of the door, weeping together one last time before Dorothy runs in and throws a (seemingly) lethal bucket of water on our green-skinned heroine. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025

Here’s our heroine, doing the tough work (with a big dash of magic) to make things right in Oz. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 18 Nov. 2025

Her most mild-mannered heroines snoop through curtains and hedges; at their most audacious, her spinsters whip out binoculars and sneak uninvited into other people’s homes. —Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for heroine

• heroin

Kids Definition

heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən 

1

: a woman in legends or myths who has great courage and daring

2

: a woman admired for her achievements and qualities

3

: the chief female figure in a literary work or in an event or period